Zane Hodges Library

There is a very good chance that the prodigal son was a teenager. In the story of the prodigal son, we learn that God is gracious and forgiving, but the days that are wasted will never come back again and the eternal rewards that could have been won have been lost forever.  This message also gives insights on how to raise a prodigal son or a prodigal daughter.  Note, at times the recording quality...

There are three words to remember when looking at the parable of the lost coin: value, diligence and joy. Repentance has nothing to do with the reception of the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ. What is the point of repentance? Repentance is the condition for fellowship with God.  Repentance from our sins is the condition for living lives in harmony with Jesus Christ.  If you don...

Some Christians are careless with their future wallets in the kingdom of God. When I serve and follow Jesus Christ, I am depositing the valuable treasure of the kingdom into my own account in the bank of heaven. There is no good excuse for not putting Jesus Christ first in your life. When we fail to put Jesus Christ first, that is how we lose our golden wallet. What is wrong with American Christia...

As Jesus dines in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, we learn not to eat the sour pickle of an unmerciful and uncaring spirit, the sour pickle of self-exaltation, and the sour pickle of self-serving kindness. Compassion, humility and unselfish kindness are good at all times and for everything that you do.

How does our Lord Jesus Christ react to a threat on His life? Jesus does not give into fear but goes ahead and does what God the Father wants Him to do. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to be willing to take a chance under the guidance of God to get the Gospel to men. We need to be followers of our bold, brave, and compassionate Savior. Other passages mentioned: Psalm 23:4; 2 Kings 21:1-16; Rev...

The ruler of the synagogue who condemns Jesus for healing on the Sabbath reflects a view that the mercy of God is forbidden by the law of God. Our salvation has nothing to do with the law of God or the righteousness of works or surrender or submission. Our salvation is an act of totally undeserved mercy and grace from God. There is no doctrine in Christendom today that is more likely to produce hy...

Satan has trapped millions under the bondage of addiction. What do those under the bondage of addiction need? They need what the woman who had a spirit of infirmity needed. They need the power of Jesus' word and the strength that Jesus' hands alone can impart. The Christian church needs to be the place, where we introduce people to the delivering power of Jesus Christ, to the power that His word c...

What kind of tree are you? Are your roots down into the waters of God's word and bringing forth fruit or are you a barren fig tree just waiting for the judgment of God? Who prays for us, that we may have an extended opportunity to do what is right? Other passages: Luke 13:1-5; Psalm 1:1-3.

The weather report for the United States of America is that the storm of God's judgment lies ahead for this country. What is America's basic underlying problem?  We, as a country, do not do the right thing. A nation is in big trouble when its people refuse to do and say what is right in the sight of God. Repentance is not a condition for eternal salvation. Repentance is a condition for escaping Go...

All born-again Christians will have a day in court that they will not be able to avoid. This day in court has nothing to do with the question of whether a Christian will go to heaven or to hell. When one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior, that person's destiny in heaven is guaranteed. When Jesus Christ returns, all Christians must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ....

There are two sides to becoming a king in God's kingdom.  We do serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but He will also serve us. Those little acts of service that we do and the hardships, frustrations and disappointments that are part of serving God in this life, will be repaid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ, and we who are to await Him as servants will find ourselves being served by our Master. Other pa...

There are 3 real estate robbers in the kingdom of God, wrong priorities, greedy selfishness and thief of hearts. We all tend to pursue our material necessities first, and to give those things our basic priority. If we do that, then we are no different than the unsaved world around us. We should be different, because our Father in heaven already knows that we need these things. Seek the kingdom of...

There probably isn't a person who doesn't have a few secrets that he wishes could remain buried forever.  Even if you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of everlasting life and are a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, the fact is that there are no permanent secrets.  Hypocrisy does not pay, for every secret thing and every secret word will someday be revealed.  Even Christia...

God wants us to regard Him as the kind of heavenly Friend that we can go to in times of emergency at any hour of the day or night.  One the most valuable things we can do, is to cultivate friendship and intimacy with God through prayer. A persuader is a man who knows that he has a generous heavenly Friend, who comes to Jesus Christ for the needs of his friends, and who comes to God in boldness.  O...

What are the ABCs of effective Christian prayer?  (A) We focus on the name of God. (B) We submit to the purposes of God. (C) We live under the shadow of God. Other passages: Psalm 91:1; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12.

If you think it is bad to lose communication with a partner in marriage, then it is even worse to lose communication with God.  Did you ever stop to think what a tremendous privilege it would be to have Jesus Christ as a guest in your home? That was exactly the opportunity given to two ladies in this passage by the names of Mary and Martha.  When we turn our attention to the Word of God, it ought...

A very real spiritual identity crisis often lies at the root of the frustrations and failures that we experience in Christian living. Sometimes under the pressures of life, we forget who Jesus is and what He is like. We forget the greatness of His power, the sufficiency of His strength, the abundance of His mercy and the plenitude of His grace, and Jesus becomes like a stranger.  Jesus Christ has...

Imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the secrets of the Christian life.  Jesus through prayer was dependent on God, discerning in His relationships with men, and dynamic in His service to others.  Prayer expresses our dependence upon God, our need for His discernment as we relate to people, and our urgent reliance upon God's power to work in and through us.  Other passages mentioned: Phili...

Sometimes we get the chance to pretend to be something we are not. John the Baptist had the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to play the role of the Christ of God. What is really important in life? It isn't you, it isn't your personal affairs, and it isn't even the work that you do for God. What is really important in life is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior and Lord. Happy is the Chris...

For believers, the Lord Jesus Christ is not only our Friend, but also our Brother. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that is the greatest act of friendship that was ever done. We should be challenged so that we resemble our Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. Two of the great themes illustrated by the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ are the themes of submission and humility.  Expressing...

Elizabeth and Zacharias are obeying the word of God.  They are united by the strongest tie that can bind parents together. They are deeply committed to the will of God for their child, John.  Blessed is the home where God is working and where the neighbors can see it. The only way to be a good neighbor is to have a home filled with the obedience and worship of God and where the mercy of God is mag...

Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and the mother of the recently deceased King Ahaziah, steals the throne of the kingdom of Judah from the sons of David.  The theft of power is a widespread human sin, that also happens in the Christian church.  However Jehosheba, sister of King Ahaziah, in compassion hides the baby boy Joash, a descendant of King David from Athaliah. When we believe in the Lord...

Jehu fulfills the word of God, because he destroys the house of Ahab. However, Jehu goes too far in acting deceptively in destroying Baal from Israel. You cannot serve the God of truth by telling lies. Later, Jehu does not go far enough by allowing the golden calves to remain. If we have the nerve to add to the word of God, rules that God has not spoken, then we are dummies, but if we fail to move...

In this passage, we see how the apostle Paul values his Roman citizenship.  Is it appropriate for a Christian to be patriotic for his country?  How should patriotism affect us?  What should patriotism lead us to think and do?

God's newly appointed king of Israel, Jehu, ignores the difficulties and pain and focuses on doing the word of God.  Sometimes we know what God wants us to do, but we don't want to do it because we are afraid of the pain. The solution is that we should ignore the pain and do what the word of God teaches.  Other passages include: Kings 3:1-2; Galatians 6:7; 1 Kings 21.